Improvement in corset and skirt supporters



UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERASTUS BLAKESLEE, OF PLYMOUTH, CONNECTICUT.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,608, dated June 19, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ERAsTUs BLAKESLEE, of Plymouth,in the county ot' Litchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Skirt and Corset Supporters; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, aud exact description of the saine, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure l, one-halt' front and one-halt back lView with my supporters attached, Fig. 2, a detached view ot' the skirt-supporter; and in Fig. 3 an edge View ot' the button of thc skirtsupporter.

My invention is designed to sustain the entire weight ot' the skirt from the shoulders, the corset itself being` the medium of such supporter; and it consists, first, in the attaching to the body ofthe corset adjustable buttons to which the skirt is attached; second, in the peculiar construction of the button, whereby it is made adjustable; and, lastly, in the peculiar manner ot` combining a waist with the corset, so that the downward strain upon the corset bears entirely upon the shoulder ot' the wearer.

To enable others to construct and apply my improvement, I will proceed to describe the same as illustrated in theaccompunying drawings.

A is the front, I3 the back, of the corset, ot' any known construct-ion. Upon each side, and extending from the front to the back, I lix a llat skirt-wire spring, C, which I term a stay,7 or its equivalent. This I secure so that it may be taken therefrom at pleasure by means of metal sockets a, (scc Fig. 2,) and stayed at intervals Ioy metallic loops d. These sockets and loops are secured to the corsets by common meta-l eyelets or equivalent device.

Fig. 3 shows the construction ot' the button, which differs from other buttons in this respect, that in place of holes or eyes for stitches I form upon the back of the button a metal loop, so that the button will slide freely on the stay C. Thus constructed the button is adapted to other purposes.

To insert the stays, place them through the loops d, setting` thereon the requisite number ot' buttons, spring the stay until each end will enter the sockets c. In this position the corset is ready to receive the skirt. In the band ot the skirts form button-holes corresponding to the number of buttons on the stays C, and button the skirt onto the said buttons.

The adjustment of the button is required when it is desired to tighten or loosen the corset, for it' the corset is loose the two parts of the corset spread from eachother, thus removing the two center buttons farther from each other', while the button-holes in the bands remain thel same. By this adjustment the buttons slide on the stay to accommodate the button-holes in the band. By this arrangement the. skirt is attached entirely to the corset.

To support the corset and skirt thus attached, construct a yoke, E, in the usual manner, passing over the shoulders and secured to the back ot' the corset near its top, as denoted by the broken red line, Fig. l, the front extending down and secured tothe inside of the front ot' thc corset nearly, as denoted by red line, Fig. l, which leaves the front of the corset loose and free, making the shoulder-strap sufficiently strong to sustain the weight without inconvenience or discomfort to the wearer.

Having thereibre thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The stay C, when arranged upon the body of the corset so as to secure and support the skirt, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a corset, buttons constructed and arranged so as to be self-adjusting on the stay C, as and for the purpose specitied.

3. A corset-supporter constructed substantially as described, and attached to the corset in the manner herein set forth.

ERASTUS BLAKESLEE.

Witnesses: l

JOHN E. EARLE, J oHN H. SHUMMAY. 

